Collapsible ironing board

ABSTRACT

Provided is a collapsible ironing board that includes a frame, a primary board and a secondary board. The primary board is pivotally attached to the frame at the rear edge of the primary board. The secondary board is slidably attached to the primary board such that the secondary board can be slid from a stored position in which the top surface of the secondary board is beneath the bottom surface of the primary board to an extended position in which the rear edge of the secondary board is in front of the front edge of the primary board and the top surface of the secondary board is at least approximately coplanar with the top surface of the primary board. An extendable/retractable shaft also is provided and has a proximal end that is pivotally attached to the frame and a distal end that is pivotally attached to the secondary board.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to an ironing board and, moreparticularly, an ironing board that may be collapsed for efficientstorage.

2. Description of the Related Art

Most conventional ironing boards may be folded so as to reduce theamount of space occupied by the ironing board when it is not in use.However, conventional ironing boards usually are difficult tomanipulate, particularly for the elderly or the infirm. For example,probably the most common ironing board includes a board portion thatprovides the ironing surface and also includes a stand that supports theboard portion. Folding such an ironing board requires the user tophysically lift the entire assembly, stand it on its end or on its side,activate a lever that causes the stand to fold underneath the boardportion, and then carry the entire assembly to its storage location.While this procedure is only an inconvenience for healthy individuals,it can be very difficult or even impossible for the elderly or thehandicapped.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses this problem by providing a collapsibleironing board in which a secondary board can be slid from a storedposition beneath a primary board to a deployed position where both theprimary board and the secondary board form the ironing surface.Generally speaking, this is accomplished through the use of anexpandable shaft that is pivotally connected at one end to a frame andat the other hand to the secondary board.

Thus, in one aspect the invention is directed to a collapsible ironingboard that includes a frame, a primary board and a secondary board. Theprimary board is pivotally attached to the frame at the rear edge of theprimary board. The secondary board is slidably attached to the primaryboard such that the secondary board can be slid from a stored positionin which the top surface of the secondary board is beneath the bottomsurface of the primary board to an extended position in which the rearedge of the secondary board is in front of the front edge of the primaryboard and the top surface of the secondary board is at leastapproximately coplanar with the top surface of the primary board. Anextendable/retractable shaft (such as a pneumatic, hydraulic or otherpressurized piston/cylinder mechanism) also is provided and has aproximal end that is pivotally attached to the frame and a distal endthat is pivotally attached to the secondary board.

With the foregoing configuration, the extendable/retractable shaft canbe used to deploy and to collapse the ironing board, thereby typicallyreducing the amount of work required by the end user. In the preferredembodiments of the invention, the primary and secondary boards arestored in a vertical orientation, with the secondary board underneath(or, more accurately, behind) the primary board. Also in the preferredembodiments, the extendable/retractable shaft is a pneumaticpiston/cylinder mechanism, similar to a shock absorber; therefore, afteran initial pull (which may also be achieved with the aid of a lever orotherwise, e.g., a locking type mechanism) to start the deployment(e.g., to rotate the board assembly past the equilibrium point), theshaft takes over and raises and extends the board into the fullyoperational position.

A provided locking mechanism then secures the board into the operationalposition. By releasing this mechanism and simultaneously pressingdownwardly and rearwardly the ironing board can be returned to thestorage position.

The carriage mechanism for permitting the secondary board to extend fromand slide out from underneath the primary board can be configured in avariety of ways. In one embodiment described below, it is implemented asa J-shaped groove in a bracket attached to each of the right side andthe left side of the primary board, with a pin in each side of thesecondary board, together guiding the movement of the secondary board inthe appropriate manner. In another embodiment described below, it isimplemented as a telescoping track attached to each of the right sideand the left side of the primary board and the secondary board (similarto many conventional drawer glides), together with multiple pivot armsto accommodate the vertical movement of the secondary board.

Additional features of the invention are contemplated and are describedin more detail below. For example, the entire frame supporting theironing board assembly may be pivotally mounted to a housing in whichthe frame and assembly are housed, so that the ironing board may berotated into a desired position. Also, the housing (or the frame,particularly in cases where no separate housing is utilized) may beprovided with a lifting mechanism for adjusting the height of theironing board.

The foregoing summary is intended merely to provide a brief descriptionof the general nature of the invention. A more complete understanding ofthe invention can be obtained by referring to the claims in view of thefollowing detailed description of the preferred embodiments and theaccompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ironing board housing according to arepresentative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the housing shown in FIG. 1 with theleft-side door open and the ironing board in the operational position.

FIG. 3A is a right side cross-sectional view showing an ironing boardassembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention, withthe ironing board in the stored position.

FIG. 3B is a right side cross-sectional view showing an ironing boardassembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention, withthe ironing board in the stored position and with an optional foot pedalfor deploying the ironing board.

FIG. 4A is a right side cross-sectional view of an ironing boardassembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention,with the ironing board in the operational position.

FIG. 4B is a more detailed right side elevational view of a locking pinassembly for preventing rotational movement of the primary boardrelative to the frame.

FIG. 5 is a right side cross-sectional view of an ironing board assemblyaccording to the first embodiment of the present invention, with theironing board in the operational position and the entire frame assemblyrotated 90 degrees clockwise.

FIG. 6A is a top plan view of an ironing board assembly according to thefirst embodiment of the present invention, with the ironing board in theoperational position.

FIG. 6B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the hook/anchor attachmentfor securing the secondary board to the primary board according to arepresentative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an ironing board assembly according to thefirst embodiment of the present invention, with the ironing board in theoperational position and the entire frame assembly rotated 90 degreesclockwise.

FIG. 8 is a right side cross-sectional view showing an ironing boardassembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention, withthe ironing board in the stored position.

FIG. 9 is a right side cross-sectional view of an ironing board assemblyaccording to the second embodiment of the present invention, with theironing board fully extended.

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the ironing boardaccording to the second embodiment of the invention, with the ironingboard fully extended.

FIG. 11 is a right side cross-sectional view of an ironing boardassembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention,with the ironing board in the operational position.

FIG. 12 is a right side cross-sectional view of an ironing boardassembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention, withthe ironing board in the stored position.

FIG. 13 is a right side elevational view of an ironing board assemblyaccording to the third embodiment of the present invention, with theironing board fully extended.

FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view of the rear pivot arm assemblyalong the plane indicated in FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view of the front pivot armassembly along the plane indicated in FIG. 13.

FIG. 16 is a right side elevational view of an ironing board assemblyaccording to the third embodiment of the present invention, with theironing board fully extended and the secondary board rotated into aposition approximately coplanar with the primary board.

FIG. 17 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the ironing boardaccording to the third embodiment of the present invention, with theironing board fully extended and the secondary board rotated into aposition approximately coplanar with the primary board.

FIG. 18 is a right side elevational view of an ironing board assemblyaccording to the third embodiment of the present invention, with theironing board fully extended, and the secondary board rotated into aposition approximately coplanar with the primary board and pushedrearwardly so as to lock into position with the primary board.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ironing board housing 10 according toa representative embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG.1, from the outside housing 10 appears similar to many conventionalcabinets, having two doors 12 and 14 with corresponding handles 13 and15 for opening the doors. Unlike most other conventional cabinets,however, housing 10 includes a bottom platform 16 which, in turn,includes a lifting mechanism 18 for adjusting the height of the entirehousing 10.

In the preferred embodiments of the invention, lifting mechanism 18includes two hydraulic lifts, 18 a and 18 b which are operated by a pump20 to lift the entire housing 10 to a desired height Preferably, pump 20is either a foot-operated pump or an electric pump. In either case, aspring-biased release valve between the two hydraulic chamberspreferably is provided for controlling the lowering of housing 10 (e.g.,pressing the valve opens it, thereby causing housing 10 to lower andthen when pressure is removed the spring returns the valve to the dosedposition). Also, any other type of lifting mechanism may instead beused, such as a purely mechanical lifting mechanism (e.g., in the natureof a mechanical car jack).

Located on the side of housing 10 is a bracket 24 for guiding the upwardand downward movement of housing 10 caused by lifting mechanism 18. Asshown, bracket 24 is configured as an L-shaped bracket with two screwholes 25 on one plane of the “L” for mounting bracket 24 to a wall. Onthe other plane is a vertically oriented slot 26. A pin 27 is fixedlyattached to housing 10 and disposed within slot 26 so that housing 10,when raised and/or lowered, travels within the line defined by slot 26.A similar bracket and pin preferably are provided on the other side ofhousing 10 as well. While the foregoing guide mechanism is preferred,any other lifting guide mechanism may instead be used, such as apeg-and-groove arrangement on the back of housing 10, e.g., running theentire height of housing 10.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an ironing board assembly in operationaluse according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the ironingboard 30 is stored in one side only (the left side in FIG. 2) of housing10. The other side of housing 10 preferably is available as storagespace. Generally speaking, ironing board 30 will be significantly longerthan the height or the width of housing 10. Nevertheless, thisarrangement is accommodated by the unique mechanisms and techniques forcollapsing and extending ironing board 30 according to the presentinvention, as described below.

Ironing board 30 includes two parts: an inner or primary board 35 and anouter or secondary board 40. Both of the primary board 35 and thesecondary board 40 preferably are made of metal and capable ofsupporting at least 10 kilograms of weight A carriage system 50 allowssecondary board 40 to slide underneath primary board 35 for storage andthen to slide into the position shown in FIG. 2 in which secondary board40 is arranged end-to-end with primary board 35 for operational use. Thepreferred mechanism for collapsing and extending ironing board 30between the stored and operational positions utilizes anextendable/retractable shaft 60. Shaft 60 pivotally attaches to a frame70 within housing 10 and also pivotally attaches to the secondary board40.

In the preferred embodiments of the invention, shaft 60 is a pressurizedpneumatic piston/cylinder mechanism, similar in nature to an automobileshock absorber. In any event, shaft 60 preferably is configured so as totend toward expansion in length. Thus, for example, rather than using apneumatic piston/cylinder mechanism, shaft 60 instead may be configuredas a spring-loaded mechanism.

First Embodiment

FIG. 3A is a right side cross-sectional view showing an ironing boardassembly 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention,with the left side door 14 opened. As shown in FIG. 3A, the ironingboard assembly 100 is in the stored position in housing 10. In thisposition, the primary board 135 and the secondary board 140 are orientedvertically, with the secondary board 140 immediately behind (orunderneath) the primary board 135. As can be seen in FIG. 3A, in thestored position the primary board 135 overlaps the secondary board 140along substantially the entire surface area of secondary board 140.

The carriage system 50 in this embodiment of the invention is configuredas a guide assembly 101 mounted along each of the left and right sidesof primary board 135. Guide assembly 101 includes a bracket or plate 102that has formed within it a J-shaped groove 104 that preferably extendsthrough the entire thickness of plate 102. Fixedly mounted to the rearend of the secondary board 140 is a pin 106 that fits within the groove104. As seen in FIG. 3A, in the stored position pin 106 is at or nearthe rear end of groove 104. Each guide assembly 101 further includesmultiple rollers, such as multiple top rollers 110, multiple bottomrollers 112 and multiple side rollers 114. Top rollers 110 abut the topsurface of secondary board 140, and bottom rollers 112 abut its bottomsurface, together reducing friction as secondary board 140 slides fromthe stored position to the operational position. Side rollers 114 abutthe side of secondary board 140 and take up the tolerance between guideassembly 101 and secondary board 140.

A frame 70 supports the ironing board 30 and is mounted to the housing10 using pivot joints 71 and 72. Another pivot joint 73 secures the rearend of primary board 135 to frame 70. Each of pivot joints 71-73preferably is configured as a ball bearing mechanism of the typecommonly found in vehicle wheels and preferably permits 360° rotationalmovement within a single plane. Pivot joints 71-73 preferably are robustenough to accommodate 20 kilograms of weight.

Shaft 60 is attached to a pivot joint 61 mounted on the bottom of frame70 and to another pivot joint 62 mounted on the bottom surface ofsecondary board 140. In the preferred stored position, the distancebetween secondary board 140 and frame 70 is just large enough toaccommodate the width of shaft 60, so that shaft 60 is nearly vertical.

As noted above, shaft 60 preferably is pressurized or otherwiseconfigured in a manner that it is biased toward expansion in length. Asfurther noted, the pivot point for primary board 135 is pivot joint 73.Accordingly, in the preferred stored position, the expansion forceexerted by shaft 60 is behind the pivot point 73, tending to causesecondary board 140 (and primary board 135 to which it is attached) torotate in the clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3A. This is a stablesituation, causing the ironing board assembly 100 to remain in thestored position. As a result although a locking pin or similar devicemay be utilized to keep ironing board assembly 30 in the stored position(as discussed in more detail below), such a device generally will not benecessary. A locking mechanism 80 is provided, but as discussed in moredetail below, locking mechanism 80 is primarily for securing ironingboard assembly 100 in the operational position.

From the stored position, the ironing board assembly 100 may be manuallyrotated in the counter-clockwise direction (based on the orientationshown in FIG. 3A). Doing so also will cause shaft 60 to rotate aboutpivot point 61 and initially will cause a slight compression of shaft60. Continuing such rotation eventually will result in a situation inwhich the line of force provided by shaft 60 intersects (i.e., in theside elevational view) the pivot point 73. This is the equilibrium pointat which shaft 60 has no effect However, the weight of board assembly100 will tend to continue to cause rotation in the clockwise direction.By continuing to manually rotate board assembly 100 a little further inthe counter-clockwise direction a point will be reached at with theforce exerted by shaft 60 exactly equals the weight of board assembly100. This is the true equilibrium point, and beyond it shaft 60 willurge board assembly 100 in the counter-clockwise direction. In otherwords, letting go of ironing board assembly 100 at this point will allowshaft 60 to complete the extension of the ironing board without furthermanual assistance.

Due to the existence of guide assemblies 101, secondary board 140 isfree to slide relative to primary board 135. Therefore, as shaft 60rotates the entire board assembly 101 in the counter-clockwisedirection, the expanding length of shaft 60 also causes secondary board140 to slide out from underneath primary board 135, thereby extendingthe entire length of board 30.

FIG. 3B illustrates the ironing board assembly 101 in the sameconfiguration shown in FIG. 3A, but with the addition of an optionalfoot pedal mechanism for assisting in the deployment of assembly 101.This mechanism includes a foot pedal 400, mounted to a member 401.Member 401, in turn, is pivotally mounted to one of the side walls ofthe housing 10 at a point 402 and is pivotally mounted to a member 405at a point 404. Member 405 is pivotally mounted to a member 407 at apoint 406 and is pivotally mounted to the same side wall of housing 10at a point 408. Extending from the end of member 407 is a bar 410 whichextends inwardly (i.e., toward the center of housing 10, preferablyperpendicular to member 407), but not sufficiently inwardly so as tointerfere with shaft 60. Each of members 401, 405 and 407 preferably isa flat plate and preferably is formed of metal.

Depressing pedal 400 causes member 401 to rotate clockwise, raisingmember 405 and causing member 407 to rotate counter-clockwise. As aresult, bar 410 presses against the underside of secondary board 140,thereby effecting the initial rotation of ironing board assembly 101required to move past the true equilibrium point. Therefore no manuallifting is required. When ironing board assembly 101 is later returnedto the stored position, the collapsing movement resets the foot pedalmechanism. Any other foot pedal mechanism may be used instead.Alternatively, a simple lever may be used, e.g., member 407 alone,mounted at point 408 and with bar 410.

Mounted to the bottom surface of secondary board 140 is a hook 120. Inthis embodiment, hook 120 is pivotally mounted to a sliding plate on thebottom surface of secondary board 140. Hook 120 is pivoted at point 121and is biased upwardly (i.e., toward primary board 135) with the use ofa coil spring at pivot point 121. More detail regarding this mountingtechnique and its benefits is described below. A matching anchor 122 isprovided on primary board 135.

The general purpose of hook 120 and anchor 122 is as follows. Referringto FIG. 4A, at some point as the board assembly 100 is being rotatedupwardly and concurrently extended in length, hook 120 catches ontoanchor 122, thereby securing secondary board 140 to primary board 135.

Continued extension of shaft 60 causes secondary board 140 to extendoutwardly and causes the entire ironing board assembly 100 to rotateupwardly, as guided by the movement of pin 106 through J-shaped groove104. When pin 106 reaches the uppermost point in the J-curve 105 ofgroove 104 (as shown in FIG. 4A) the force provided by shaft 60 isunable to further move secondary board 140 with respect to primary board135. At this point, ironing board assembly 100 has the appearance shownin FIG. 4A, with the secondary board 140 being end-to-end with theprimary board 135 and with their top surfaces being at leastapproximately coplanar so that primary board 135 and secondary board 140together comprise a single ironing board surface. The engagement of hook120 onto anchor 122 prevents any separation of secondary board 140 fromprimary board 135. In addition, the force exerted by shaft 60 resistsany such separation.

At the same time, further rotational movement of board assembly 100about pivot point 73 is prevented, e.g., in the following manner. FIG.4B is a more detailed right side elevational view of locking pinassembly 80 for preventing rotational movement of the primary boardrelative to the frame. Preferably, assembly 80 is provided near the rearend of primary board 135. Assembly 80 essentially consists of a steelplate 81 having a storage position 82 and a deployed-position hole 83.Plate 81 is rigidly mounted to frame 70. Attached to the rear end ofprimary board 135 is a (preferably spring-loaded) locking pin 84. Asindicated, in the stored position, locking pin 84 is located at position82. Then, the counter-clockwise rotation of board assembly 100 causesthe position of pin 84 to rotate in the same direction, toward hole 83.If pin 84 is spring-loaded, then it will automatically insert into hole83 when it reaches that position. Otherwise, pin 84 may be manuallyinserted into hole 83. In either event, once inserted in this mannerfurther rotation beyond the position shown in FIG. 4A On eitherdirection) is inhibited.

It is possible to include a hole at storage position 82. In this event,ironing board assembly 100 may be locked into the stored position aswell as the operational position. However, as noted above, thisgenerally will not be necessary, as the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention inherently provide a stable storage position.Nevertheless, such a locking mechanism may be desirable whentransporting the entire system to another location.

As noted above, frame 70 is pivotally attached to housing 10 using pivotjoints 71 and 72. Accordingly, frame 70 (together with ironing boardassembly 100) is capable of being rotated into any desired position frombeing perpendicular to housing 10 to being parallel to housing 10. FIG.4A illustrates the appearance of ironing board 30 when initiallydeployed (i.e., extending perpendicularly out of housing 10).Thereafter, ironing board 30 may be rotated as desired.

FIG. 5 is a right side cross-sectional view of ironing board assembly100, as fully rotated after deployment, e.g., 90 degrees clockwise to aposition in which ironing board 30 is parallel to housing 10. In thisposition, it is possible to more clearly see certain aspects of theconfiguration of frame 70 according to the preferred embodiments of theinvention. As shown, frame 70 has a generally trapezoidal appearance,with a substantially horizontal upper member 75 to which the rear end ofprimary board 135 (not capable of being shown in this view) attaches, asubstantially vertical inner member 76 which includes pivot joints 71and 72, a substantially horizontal bottom member 77 and an angled outermember 78. The bottom pivot joint 61 for shaft 60 is disposed at thevertex of bottom member 77 and outer member 78. In this fully extendedposition, guide assemblies 101 remain mounted underneath primary board135 and are more visible now that secondary board 140 has been raised tothe same level as primary board 135. For example, it can be seen thatside rollers 114 occupy the entire space between top rollers 110 andbottom rollers 112 in this embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6A illustrates a top plan view of ironing board assembly 100 in thesame position shown in FIG. 4A. As can be seen in FIG. 6A, in thepreferred embodiments of the invention, each of primary board 135 andsecondary board 140 has two parallel support rails 130. Mounted on theprimary board 135 is anchor 122 between the support rails 130.

Latched onto anchor 122 is hook 120, which in turn is mounted on aslidable plate 124. In the present embodiment, plate 124 has four shortgrooves 125 within it. Mounted into secondary board 140 are fourcorresponding pins 126. As a result of this configuration, plate 124 isable to slide frontward and backward a total distance equal to thelength of grooves 125 less the diameter of pins 126. Any otherconventional sliding means may of course instead be used to achieve thesame result. As shown in FIG. 6A, plate 124 is as far forward as it cantravel. In the present embodiment, plate 124 is spring-biased into thisposition. However, a handle 128 is provided for manually sliding plate124 backwards.

FIG. 6B provides a cross-sectional view along the plane shown in FIG.6A, thereby illustrating more clearly the foregoing hook/anchorattachment for securing the secondary board to the primary board. Asillustrated in FIG. 6B, hook 120 extends under, around and then looksover anchor 122.

FIG. 7 illustrates a top plan view of ironing board assembly 100 in thesame position shown in FIG. 5. As shown, ironing board 30 is parallel tohousing 10 in this orientation. It is noted that frame 70 may be rotatedabout pivot joints 71 (not capable of being shown in this figure) and 72at any time prior to, during or after deployment of ironing board 30.

Referring back to FIG. 6A, in order to return ironing board assembly 100to the stored position, handle 128 is pushed rearwardly, thereby movingplate 124 and hook 120 and causing hook 120 to separate from anchor 122.In addition, locking pin 84 is removed from hole 83 and the entireassembly 100 is pushed downward, causing secondary board 140 to returnto its storage position underneath primary board 135 and,correspondingly, the entire assembly 100 to return to the storedposition shown in FIG. 3A.

In the foregoing embodiment, plate 124 is capable of sliding forward andbackward and preferably is spring-biased in the forward direction. Inalternate embodiments, plate 124 may be freely slidable with handle 128also rotating to activate an over-the-center latch to lock plate 124into position. In this alternate embodiment, once shaft 60 extendssecondary board 140, the user pulls handle 128 forward to tighten theattachment between primary board 135 and secondary board 140, and thenrotates handle 128 upwardly to lock plate 124 into position. Then, inorder to return ironing board assembly 100 to the stored position,handle 128 is first rotated downwardly and then pushed rearwardly torelease hook 120.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 8 is a right side cross-sectional view showing an ironing boardassembly 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention,with the ironing board in the stored position. Many of the elements inthis embodiment that are similar to those described in the firstembodiment are not described in detail (or sometimes even shown) here.Thus, for example, this embodiment uses a similar housing 10, liftingmechanism 18, pump 20, shaft 60, frame 70, primary board pivot joint 73and locking pin assembly 80, as well as similar joints 61, 62, 71 and72. However, the carriage mechanism 50 in this embodiment is different,as are certain features related to how the primary board 235 andsecondary board 240 fit together.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the stored position ironing board assembly 200looks similar to assembly 100 in the first embodiment, in that thesecondary board 240 is underneath primary board 235 and sits between twoguide assemblies 201 that are mounted on the right and left sides ofprimary board 235. Each guide assembly 201, in turn, includes a J-shapedgroove 204, top rollers 210, bottom rollers 212 and side rollers 214. Apin 206, mounted near the rear end of secondary board 240, is seatedwithin J-shaped groove 204. However, as will become apparent below,J-shaped groove 204 is somewhat different than J-shaped groove 104.

Primary board 235 has an anchor 222 and secondary board 240 is providedwith a hook 220. Hook 220, in turn, has a pivot point 221, but is biasedupwardly in this embodiment of the invention by a separate compressionspring 223 that is disposed behind pivot point 221. Also, in thisembodiment a storage anchor 225 is provided for locking the ironingboard assembly 200 into position while in the stored position. Pressinghandle 228 to the right (as viewed in FIG. 8) will release hook 220 andallow the assembly to be rotated counter-clockwise, as in the previousembodiment (provided that locking pin 84 also must be released, ifstored-position hole 82 has been included in plate 81 and pin 84 isinserted through it).

Other than this one difference in releasing board assembly 200 from thestored position, as compared to board assembly 100, the process andconsiderations for starting to deploy board assembly 200 into theoperational position are the same. However, once board assembly 200nears full extension and pin 206 approaches the end curve 205 ofJ-shaped groove 204, certain differences become apparent in comparisonto the first embodiment.

This is illustrated in FIG. 9, which shows board assembly 200 fullyextended (i.e., with shaft 60 allowed to extend as far as possible). Asin the previous embodiment, locking pin assembly 80 locks primary board235 into the horizontal orientation shown, preventing it from rotatingany further. Due to the different shape of end curve 205, secondaryboard 240 swings out to a position approximately coplanar with, but justin front of primary board 235, leaving a gap 207 between them.Preferably, gap 207 is approximately 5 centimeters (cm) in length.Extending from secondary board 240 are one or more pegs 208 that are notquite as long as gap 207. One or more slots 209, matching pegs 208 indiameter and length, are provided in primary board 235. In addition, inthe position shown in the FIG. 9, hook 220 is directly in front ofanchor 222.

A bottom plan view of ironing board assembly 200 in the vicinity of gap207, in the same configuration shown in FIG. 9, is shown in FIG. 10. Inthis embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, hook 220 includes two separatearms 220 a and 220 b, with corresponding pivot points 221 a and 221 band corresponding compression springs 223 a and 223 b. However, a singlearm may instead be used. Anchor 222 is similar to anchor 122, describedabove, and is disposed between support rails 230 on primary board 235.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, starting with the board assembly 201 in theconfiguration shown in those figures and manually sliding secondaryboard 240 in a straight horizontal manner causes pegs 208 to insert intoslots 209. Also, due to the angled rear edge of hook 220, this actioncauses hook 220 to rotate downwardly, slide underneath anchor 222 andthen, upon clearing anchor 222, to snap back up, thereby engaging withanchor 222 at the point where primary and secondary boards 235 and 240abut each other.

The end result is illustrated in FIG. 11. In this configuration, hook220 and anchor 222 together prevent secondary board 240 from extendingout further, the contact between primary and secondary boards 235 and240 prevents secondary board 240 from moving inwardly, and locking pinassembly 80 prevents the entire assembly 200 from rotating about pivotpoint 73.

In order to return ironing board assembly 200 to the stored position,handle 228 is pushed upwardly, thereby releasing hook 220 from anchor222. In addition, locking pin 84 is removed from hole 83 and the entireassembly 200 is pushed downwardly, causing secondary board 240 to returnto its storage position underneath primary board 235 and,correspondingly, the entire assembly 200 to return to the storedposition shown in FIG. 8. This motion also causes hook 220 to reengagewith storage anchor 225 in the same manner described above in which hook220 attaches to anchor 222 when the board assembly 200 is beingdeployed.

Third Embodiment

FIG. 12 illustrates an ironing board assembly 300 according to a thirdembodiment of the invention. Once again, many of the components ofironing board assembly 300 are similar to those shown in the first twoembodiments, discussed above, and therefore not discussed in detailhere. Thus, for example, this embodiment also uses a similar housing 10,lifting mechanism 18, pump 20, shaft 60, frame 70, primary board pivotjoint 73 and locking pin assembly 80, as well as similar joints 61, 62,71 and 72, as are used in the first and second embodiments. In fact, forclarity of illustration many of those elements are not even shown inFIG. 12 or the other figures pertaining to the following description ofthis third embodiment. However, once again the carriage mechanism 50 inthis embodiment is different from the carriage mechanism 50 employed ineither of the previous embodiments, as are certain features related tohow the primary board 335 and secondary board 340 fit together.

As shown in FIG. 12, in the stored position the secondary board 340 isunderneath primary board 335 and sits between two guide assemblies 301that are mounted on the right and left sides of primary board 335. Eachguide assembly 301, in turn, includes an outer track 303 and an innertrack 305 that telescopes into outer track 303, allowing the inner track305 to slide in and out of outer track 303. In order to facilitate thissliding motion, various devices may be employed to reduce frictionbetween the outer track 303 and the inner track 305, such as rollers orball bearings. Essentially, the sliding mechanism of this embodimentpreferably is configured in a manner similar to the mechanism used formany conventional drawer glides, and any or all of the options indesigning such a conventional drawer glide generally will be applicableto the present sliding mechanism as well.

In the present embodiment of the invention, outer track 303 is pivotallyconnected to a front pivot arm 306 and a rear pivot arm 307 which, inturn, are each pivotally connected to primary board 335. Also in thepresent embodiment, the inner track 305 is mounted along the side edgeof secondary board 340. A similar pair of pivot arms 306 and 307, asimilar outer track 303 and a similar inner track 305 are provided onthe left side of the board assembly 301 (not shown in FIG. 12).Preferably, each of pivot arms 306 and 307 is configured as a flatrectangular metal plate with a hole at each end for insertion of a pin,thereby allowing each said pivot arm to rotate about such pin.

Primary board 335 has an anchor 322 and secondary board 340 is providedwith a hook 320. Hook 320, in turn, has a pivot point 321, but is biasedupwardly in this embodiment of the invention by a separate compressionspring 323 that is disposed behind pivot point 321. Also, in thisembodiment a storage anchor 325 is provided for locking the ironingboard assembly 300 into position while in the stored position. Pressinghandle 328 to the right (as viewed in FIG. 12) will release hook 320 andallow the board assembly 300 to be rotated counter-clockwise, as in theprevious embodiments (provided that locking pin 84 also must bereleased, if stored-position hole 82 has been included in plate 81 andpin 84 has been inserted through it).

Thus, the process and considerations for starting to deploy boardassembly 300 into the operational position are the same as those forboard assembly 200, described above. However, the extension of secondaryboard 340 with respect to primary board 335 is significantly differentthan the corresponding extension in the second embodiment Rather than apin traveling along a J-shaped groove in order to guide the extension,the extension in this embodiment of the invention is guided by thesliding action of inner track 305 relative to outer track 303.

FIG. 13 shows board assembly 300 with secondary board 340 fully extendedrelative to primary board 335. As in the previous embodiments, lockingpin assembly 80 locks primary board 335 into the horizontal orientationshown, preventing it from rotating any further. At this point, secondaryboard 340 still is lower than primary board 335 because the inner andouter tracks 305 and 303, respectively, preferably only permit linearmovement. However, with secondary board 340 fully extended and lockingpin assembly 80 preventing further rotation of primary board 335, theforce exerted by shaft 60 can only be used to rotate secondary board 340into a position approximately coplanar with primary board 335. Thisoccurs through the action of pivot arms 306 and 307. It is noted thatsome pivoting of pivot arms 306 and 307 (and corresponding lifting ofsecondary board 340) may have occurred prior to this point. However,because the amount of effort required for such lifting generally will besignificantly greater than the effort merely to slide secondary board340 outwardly board to rotate the assembly 300 about pivot point 73,most of such lifting will occur at the position shown in FIG. 13.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view which shows more detail regarding thepreferred implementation of pivot arm 307. As indicated, at its top endpivot arm 307 is pivotally connected to primary board 335 through theuse of a pin 311 extending through a hole in the top end of pivot arm307. At its bottom end, pivot arm 307 is pivotally connected to outertrack 303 through the use of a pin 312 extending through a hole in thebottom end of pivot arm 307.

Preferably, however, the implementation of pivot arm 306 is somewhatdifferent, in order to avoid interference when secondary board 340 isrotated up into the same plane as primary board 335. This implementationis illustrated in FIG. 15. As shown, an L-shaped bracket 313 is used tospace pivot arm 306 away from the edge of primary board 335. A pin 314then extends from the outer surface of bracket 313 through a hole in thetop end of pivot arm 306, thereby permitting pivot arm 306 to rotaterelative to primary board 335. At its bottom end, pivot arm 306 isattached to outer track 303 in a similar manner as is pivot arm 307,i.e., in this case using a pin 315 that extends from outer track 303through a hole in the bottom end of pivot arm 306. Here, however, withthe board assembly 300 in the position illustrated in FIG. 13, theportion of outer track 303 which is attached to pivot arm 306 stillencloses a portion of inner track 305 (unlike the portion of outer track303 illustrated in FIG. 14). Nevertheless, with the gap provided bybracket 313, inner track 305 and secondary board 340 are accommodated assecondary board 340 is rotated up into the same plane as primary board335.

Through the use of pivot arms 306 and 307, secondary board 340 swingsout to a position (shown in FIG. 16) approximately coplanar with, butjust in front of primary board 335, leaving a gap 310 between them.Preferably, gap 310 is approximately 5 cm in length. It is noted thatthe top surface of L-shaped bracket 313 prevents secondary board 340from rotating significantly beyond this coplanar position. Extendingfrom secondary board 340 are one or more pegs 308 that do not fully dosethis gap 310. One or more matching slots 309 are provided in primaryboard 335. In this position hook 320 is directly in front of anchor 322.Also, as seen in FIG. 16, in this embodiment of the invention secondaryboard 340 includes an extension portion 317 and primary board 335includes a matching recessed portion 318 which fit together so as toform a planar surface.

A bottom plan view of ironing board assembly 300 in the vicinity of gap310 in this position is shown in FIG. 17. In this embodiment, as shownin FIG. 17, hook 320 includes two separate arms 320 a and 320 b, withcorresponding pivot points 321 a and 321 b and corresponding compressionsprings 323 a and 323 b. However, a single arm may instead be used.Anchor 322 is similar to anchors 122 and 222, described above, and isdisposed between support rails 330 on primary board 335.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17, starting from the position shown in thosefigures and manually sliding secondary board 340 in a straighthorizontal manner causes pegs 308 to insert into slots 369. Also, due tothe angled rear edge of hook 320, this action causes hook 320 to rotatedownwardly, slide underneath anchor 322 and then, upon clearing anchor322, to snap back up, thereby engaging with anchor 322 at a point whereprimary and secondary boards 335 and 340 abut each other.

The end result is illustrated in FIG. 18. In this configuration, hook320 and anchor 322 together prevent secondary board 340 from extendingout further, the contact between primary and secondary boards 335 and340 prevents secondary board 340 from moving inwardly, and locking pinassembly 80 prevents the entire assembly 300 from rotating about pivotpoint 73.

In order to return ironing board assembly 300 to the stored position,handle 328 is pushed upwardly, thereby releasing hook 320 from anchor322. In addition, locking pin 84 is removed from hole 83 and the entireassembly 300 is pushed downwardly, causing secondary board 340 to returnto its storage position underneath primary board 335 and,correspondingly, the entire assembly 300 to return to the storedposition shown in FIG. 12. This motion also causes hook 320 to re-engagewith storage anchor 325 in the same manner described above in which hook320 attaches to anchor 322 when the board assembly 300 is beingdeployed.

In this third embodiment described above, the outer track 303 isattached to the pivot arms 306 and 307, and the inner track 305 ismounted to the secondary board 340. However, in alternate embodiments ofthe invention the inner track 305 may be attached to pivot arms 306 and307 while the outer track 303 is mounted to the edge of the secondaryboard 340. In addition, rather than using only a single inner track anda single outer track it is possible to instead use one or moretraditional tracks, floating between the track attached to the edge ofthe secondary board 340 and the track attached to the pivot arms 306 and307. Still further, rather than providing only two pivot arms near thefront and rear ends of primary board 335, it is possible to provide anynumber of pivot arms, with the choice regarding the appropriate numberbeing based upon engineering considerations.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

In the embodiments described above, shaft 60 is a pneumatic pistoncylinder mechanism, similar to an automobile shock absorber. However, inother embodiments shaft 60 may be implemented as a hydraulicpiston/cylinder mechanism, operated by a pump (manual or electric) and arelease valve in the same manner described above with respect to liftingmechanism 18. Still further, shaft 60 may be a purely mechanical device,similar to a common conventional mechanical car jack.

Also, several different embodiments of the present invention aredescribed above, with each such embodiment described as includingcertain features. However, it is intended that the features described inconnection with the discussion of any single embodiment are not limitedto that embodiment but may be included and/or arranged in variouscombinations in any of the other embodiments as well, as will beunderstood by those skilled in the art.

Similarly, in the discussion above, functionality may be ascribed to aparticular module or component. However, unless any particularfunctionality is described above as being critical to the referencedmodule or component, functionality may be redistributed as desired amongany different modules or components, in some cases completely obviatingthe need for a particular component or module and/or requiring theaddition of new components or modules. The precise distribution offunctionality preferably is made according to known engineeringtradeoffs, with reference to the specific embodiment of the invention,as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

Thus, although the present invention has been described in detail withregard to the exemplary embodiments thereof and accompanying drawings,it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousadaptations and modifications of the present invention may beaccomplished without departing from the spirit and the scope of theinvention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to the preciseembodiments shown in the drawings and described above. Rather, it isintended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of theinvention be considered as within the scope thereof as limited solely bythe claims appended hereto.

1. A collapsible ironing board, comprising: (a) a frame; (b) a primaryboard having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front edge, a rear edge,a left side and a right side, and being pivotally attached to the frameat the rear edge of the primary board; (c) a secondary board having atop surface, a bottom surface, a front edge, a rear edge, a left sideand a right side, and being slidably attached to the primary board suchthat the secondary board can be slid from a stored position in which thetop surface of the secondary board is beneath the bottom surface of theprimary board to an extended position in which the rear edge of thesecondary board is in front of the front edge of the primary board andthe top surface of the secondary board is at least approximatelycoplanar with the top surface of the primary board; and (d) anextendable/retractable shaft having a proximal end that is pivotallyattached to the frame and a distal end that is pivotally attached to thesecondary board.
 2. A collapsible ironing board according to claim 1,wherein the extendable/retractable shaft is pressurized.
 3. Acollapsible ironing board according to claim 2, wherein theextendable/retractable shaft is comprised of a pneumatic piston andcylinder mechanism.
 4. A collapsible ironing board according to claim 2,wherein the extendable/retractable shaft comprises a hydraulicmechanism.
 5. A collapsible ironing board according to claim 2, whereinthe extendable/retractable shaft comprises a gas-pressurized mechanism.6. A collapsible ironing board according to claim 2, wherein theextendable/retractable shaft comprises a telescoping piston-cylinderarrangement.
 7. A collapsible ironing board according to claim 1,wherein the extendable/retractable shaft is spring-loaded.
 8. Acollapsible ironing board according to claim 1, further comprising ahousing, and wherein the frame is pivotally attached to the housing. 9.A collapsible ironing board according to claim 1, further comprising alifting mechanism operable to raise and lower the frame.
 10. Acollapsible ironing board according to claim 9, wherein the liftingmechanism is operated via at least one of an electric pump and a footpump.
 11. A collapsible ironing board according to claim 1, furthercomprising a coupling mechanism operable to couple the primary board tothe secondary board.
 12. A collapsible ironing board according to claim1, wherein the secondary board is slidably attached to the primary boardusing a J-shaped groove attached to each of the right side and the leftside of the primary board.
 13. A collapsible ironing board according toclaim 1, wherein the secondary board is slidably attached to the primaryboard using a telescoping track attached to each of the right side andthe left side of the primary board and the secondary board.
 14. Acollapsible ironing board according to claim 13, further comprising apivot arm attached to the primary board and the secondary board forallowing the secondary board to raise up from underneath the primaryboard to where the top surface of the secondary board is at leastapproximately coplanar with the top surface of the primary board.
 15. Acollapsible ironing board, comprising: (a) a frame; (b) a primary boardhaving a top surface, a bottom surface, a front edge, a rear edge, aleft side and a right side, and being pivotally attached to the frame atthe rear edge of the primary board; (c) a secondary board having a topsurface, a bottom surface, a front edge, a rear edge, a left side and aright side; (d) carriage means for slidably attaching the secondaryboard to the primary board such that the secondary board can be slidfrom a stored position in which the top surface of the secondary boardis beneath the bottom surface of the primary board to an extendedposition in which the rear edge of the secondary board is in front ofthe front edge of the primary board and the top surface of the secondaryboard is at least approximately coplanar with the top surface of theprimary board; and (e) extension/retraction means for extending inlength and retracting in length under control of an operator, saidextension/retraction means having a distal end that is pivotallyattached to the frame and a proximal end that is pivotally attached tothe secondary board.
 16. A collapsible ironing board according to claim15, wherein the extension/retraction means is pressurized.
 17. Acollapsible ironing board according to claim 16, Wherein theextension/retraction means comprises a hydraulic mechanism.
 18. Acollapsible ironing board according to claim 16, wherein theextension/retraction means comprises a gas-pressurized mechanism.
 19. Acollapsible ironing board according to claim 16, wherein theextension/retraction means comprises a telescoping piston-cylinderarrangement.
 20. A collapsible ironing board according to claim 15,wherein the extension/retraction means is spring-loaded.
 21. Acollapsible ironing board according to claim 15, wherein theextension/retraction means is electrically actuated.
 22. A collapsibleironing board according to claim 15, further comprising a housing, andwherein the frame is pivotally attached to the housing.
 23. Acollapsible ironing board according to claim 15, further comprisinglifting means for raising and lowering the frame.
 24. A collapsibleironing board according to claim 23, wherein the lifting means isoperated via at least one of an electric pump and a foot pump.
 25. Acollapsible ironing board according to claim 15, further comprisingcoupling means for coupling the primary board to the secondary board.26. A collapsible ironing board according to claim 15, wherein thesecondary board is slidably attached to the primary board using aJ-shaped groove attached to each of the right side and the left side ofthe primary board.
 27. A collapsible ironing board according to claim15, wherein the secondary board is slidably attached to the primaryboard using a telescoping track attached to each of the right side andthe left side of the primary board and the secondary board.
 28. Acollapsible ironing board according to claim 27, further comprising apivot arm attached to the primary board and the secondary board